Training your staff is incredibly important, whether it’s a new employee or a manager that has been with your business for years. Members of staff need to feel like they are growing their skillset and are taking steps to progress in their career. By encouraging and implementing training in your small business environment, you will be able to retain good quality employees. Training your staff can also help you prepare for any skills gap that may become a problem due to Brexit.
HR and Staff Management
First and foremost, dismissing an employee should always be the last resort. An employee is or should be, an asset of a small business. There may be reasons why an employee is not performing or has caused an issue, however, you should try to get to the bottom of this before making any decision to dismiss them.
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Gender pay gap in the workplace is an issue that has been high profile and has had extensive media coverage. It’s a problem that has been plagued and needs to be addressed. Although many big companies have been forced to make changes to their unequal and unfair pay policies, small businesses also need to take notice.
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According to a recent study, employee engagement across the workforce is at a historic low. Many employees cite disengagement with the work they are tasked to perform each day, due to a variety of underlying causes. It could be they are not content with their current job position, or that they do not feel completely connected with the employer on a broader scale. Regardless of the root cause, employers and their HR departments are recognising the pressing need to improve employee engagement – and fast.
As a manager, it is your responsibility to promote employee wellbeing in the team. If the workforce is demotivated, stressed and not building positive relationships, the team’s productivity and efficiency will suffer as a result.
As a business owner, wouldn’t it be great if the work you and your employees had to do was as engaging as playing video games? Or binge-watching a Netflix series? Or going on a blowout shopping trip? Imagine if a small business could capture the magic of play and inject it into their work. It would have a profound impact on their bottom line. Enter gamification.
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Hiring young people can be very beneficial for small business owners that have a heavy workload and small budget. You can take on young people through various programmes; you may wish to offer a week’s work experience, a three-month internship or even longer apprenticeships. When it comes to taking on young people as employees, you will need to make sure that you are fully compliant with the employment law. Seek the advice of an HR professional, if you don’t have an in-house HR team/department.
When it comes to hiring for any role, the main priority is getting the right candidate. You may need to look outside the UK if the applicants you are getting are not quite what you are looking for. There may be various reasons for wanting to employ people from overseas, however, whatever your reason you will need to adhere to certain rules and regulations.
HR is an important part of a business, whether you have an entire department looking after the HR of your business or just one person. It’s vital that a small business has an HR professional on board. However even when businesses have dedicated professionals to manage their HR, mistakes are still made that can be avoided. In the worst case scenario, HR mistakes can lead to a court case, with huge legal fines that can be detrimental to a business.
DBS (Disclosure and Barring Services) checks are sometimes a legal requirement when going through the hiring process. If you are a small business owner looking at recruiting for your business, you will need to familiarise yourself with DBS checks, if they are relevant. DBS checks, previously known as CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks, may be essential to working in certain places and positions.
Like many business owners, you may dread holiday periods coming around. Finding someone to fill in for an employee’s essential duties can be a dismal task. However, there are positive days ahead, as your business will benefit in the following ways when your employee returns from their vacation. Here Austrack Campers highlight why it’s important to encourage your employees to travel while on paid time off.
Telecom related issues can cost a business time and money, and create stress for anyone in the department that has to operate the telecom software alongside their usual tasks. Although telecom software can be an asset to certain businesses, it’s not always the perfect answer to your Telecom Expense Management (TEM) needs. There are so many components of TEM – from reviewing invoices, dealing with vendors, auditing invoices and negotiating contracts – so why not hire an expert team to do it for you?
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Recruiting for a business is one of the most important milestones. It marks either the beginning (if you start with a team) or the growth of a business. There is no other predictor of success as prevalent as the team of people you employ to work for you. Having a good team, that moulds together and works hard, is essential to business success. Therefore, when it comes to recruiting for a small business, there are multiple factors that need to be considered.
It’s incredibly important to stand out as an employer when you are hiring. Offering potential and existing staff perks and benefits will create happy, loyal employees. The extra perks and benefits could be a deciding factor when a candidate is choosing between you and another employer. Attracting and retaining talent is essential, especially for small businesses as the recruitment costs could be steep.
Keeping staff happy is essential for a thriving, productive workplace. Making sure that your staff are happy will ensure that they are working hard to make your business a success. Scheduling and managing shifts can sometimes be difficult, especially when running a small business. However, by creating a ‘give and take’ relationship with your employees, it can be beneficial to you both. A good business leader will always keep employee satisfaction and happiness in mind.
When small businesses owners are starting their business, the main aim and priority is to keep the costs low. It is likely, most of the costs will be spent on necessities, rather than luxuries. Some may think that HR professionals or an HR department are a luxury, however, they can help implement workplace policies and keep the business out of trouble. If it’s not possible to hire an HR professional, then outsourcing can also be an option. However, it is advisable to hire an individual to manage the HR of your business as soon as you can.
Mental health issues can be damaging to the workplace and the business if not dealt with in the right way, so it is necessary to create a culture and environment in which your employees can talk about any issues they are having. It was reported by mentalhealth.org that around 14.7% of employees have mental health issues, and around 12.7% of sick leave can also be attributed to poor mental health.
Small businesses often feel pressed for time, money, and human resources, causing them to neglect training, one of the most important ingredients for success. Training can ensure that everyone on your team understands their job and what you expect from them.
Boosting productivity in the workplace is a major goal for most business owners. Fortunately, there are many handy tools on the market to help you do just that. What’s more, lots of them are free or are available in free versions.
Companies are increasingly recognising the benefits of team building – the beginning of 2016 actually saw record spending on team building activities in the UK. In fact, on average companies now spend £305 on activities per employee to boost morale and keep their staff happy. Traditional team building activities such as assault courses are being replaced with more creative days out, with the most popular being cooking and baking. Adventure Connections highlight the many benefits of team building in the workplace that small businesses need to take advantage of.
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